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The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

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An Accessible Seeded Field For Humanitarian Mine Action Research, Jasper Baur, Gabriel Steinberg, John Frucci, Anthony Brinkley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The detection of buried and surface explosive remnants of war (ERW) is a critical task in the land release process.[1] The goal of this project is to create a long-term study site and benchmark to accelerate humanitarian mine action (HMA) research for the detection of buried ERW, including unexploded ordnance (UXO), landmines, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A crucial step in transitioning experimental detection techniques from the lab to the field is conducting rigorous field testing in a realistic and safe environment.[2]^,[3],[4] With most academic institutions lacking access to stockpiles of inert ERW to …

Mine Action In Lebanon: Innovation, Learning, And Finishing The Job, Mark Wilkinson Phd

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Lebanon is a country that has been severely affected by landmines, cluster bombs, and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) through decades of war and civil war. In many cases these legacies of war remain today, intertwined with the complex geopolitics of the region. Yet Lebanon is also a country that exemplifies excellence in mine action—from the strategic to the operational level.

Seventh Mine Action Technology Workshop: A Space For Innovation, Arsen Khanyan, Inna Cruz

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The 7th edition of the Mine Action Technology Workshop, a biennial event organized by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), took place from 7–8 November 2019 in Basel, Switzerland. Titled Remote Sensing and Robotics in Mine Action, the workshop welcomed 165 participants from forty-nine countries, representing eight-five organizations.¹ It offered a platform to discuss and share ideas and experiences that promote the efficient use of innovation and technology in humanitarian mine action (HMA). This unique event is aimed at bringing together mine action professionals, manufacturers, national authorities, operators, and representatives from the United Nations as well as …

Interviews With Hma Directors: Dr. Jane Cocking, Dr. Jane Cocking

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction is introducing a section dedicated to sharing the insights and experiences of those working in the field. This issue features HMA directors. Future issues will feature interviews with photojournalists, survivors, and veterans of the HMA community.

Interviews With Hma Directors: Arianna Calza Bini, Arianna Calza Bini

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction is introducing a section dedicated to sharing the insights and experiences of those working in the field. This issue features HMA directors. Future issues will feature interviews with photojournalists, survivors, and veterans of the HMA community.

Interviews With Hma Directors: Ambassador Stefano Toscano, Ambassador Stefano Toscano

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction is introducing a section dedicated to sharing the insights and experiences of those working in the field. This issue features HMA directors. Future issues will feature interviews with photojournalists, survivors, and veterans of the HMA community.

Contamination In Eastern Ukraine: Observations By Osce, Edward Crowther

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since fighting began in 2014, significant areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine have been contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). This article will briefly cover the origin of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) and its mandate, before turning to the types of contamination observed by the SMM in eastern Ukraine. On 21 March 2014, the 57 participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) made a consensus decision to deploy the SMM, and the SMM’s mandate has been extended each year since. The SMM establishes facts and reports …

Itf Enhancing Human Security In Serbia, Gregor Sancanin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

ITF Enhancing Human Security has worked in Southeast Europe’s post-conflict countries since 1998. In states affected by the break-up of Yugoslavia such as Serbia, ITF works to support the country’s fulfillment of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), and this involvement has proved critical to Serbia fulfilling its goals.

Interviews With Hma Directors: Major General J.M. Cowan, Major General J.M. Cowan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction is introducing a section dedicated to sharing the insights and experiences of those working in the field. This issue features HMA directors. Future issues will feature interviews with photojournalists, survivors, and veterans of the HMA community.

Interviews With Hma Directors: Allan Vosburgh, Allan R. Vosburgh

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction is introducing a section dedicated to sharing the insights and experiences of those working in the field. This issue features HMA directors. Future issues will feature interviews with photojournalists, survivors, and veterans of the HMA community.

Collaborative Demining Training In Cambodia, Jorge Rivero, Tom Gersbeck

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since 2016, the Center for Fire and Explosives, Forensic Investigations, Training and Research at Oklahoma State University (OSU) has teamed up with Golden West Humanitarian Foundation to offer an extraordinary training opportunity to military and civilian bomb experts, as well as OSU medical personnel and students. During the second half of January 2018, a group of civilian law enforcement bomb technicians, military explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians, medical personnel, a lawyer, and educators visited Cambodia to participate in the OSU Explosives Ordnance seminar conducted by Golden West.

Landmine Free 2025: A Shared Responsibility, Camille Wallen, Chris Loughran

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Just over 20 years ago, states and civil society came together to put an end to the harm inflicted by antipersonnel mines. The result was the ground-breaking Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in 1997. Better known as the Ottawa Treaty, it prohibited the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. It also created time-bound legal obligations requiring the destruction of all stockpiles, the clearance of all mined areas, and assistance for landmine victims.

Sepon Supports Uxo Clearance In Laos, Saman Aneka, Micheal Valent

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Sepon mine, owned by the largest international mining company in Laos, MMG Lane Xang Minerals Limited Sepon (LXML), is situated in a remote area of Vilabouly District, Savannakhet Province—one of the most bombed districts in Lao PDR. Over 21,000 people have been killed or injured as a result of unexploded ordnance (UXO) accidents in the post-war period (1974–2018), of which 25 percent were in Savannakhet Province. This legacy brings unique challenges to mining operations, development projects, and agricultural production.

Advanced Geophysical Classification Of Wwii-Era Unexploded Bombs Using Borehole Electromagnetics, Laurens Beran, Stephen Billings

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The legacy of World War II-era unexploded bombs (UXB) is an ongoing public safety hazard throughout Europe, and especially in Germany. Large, air-dropped bombs that are a legacy of Allied bombing campaigns are discovered on a weekly basis in Germany, requiring evacuations and disposal efforts costing hundreds of thousands of Euros in some instances.

This article presents recent work done by Black Tusk Geophysics using advanced geophysical classification (AGC) to reliably identify hazardous ordnance at urban sites in Germany. After briefly describing electromagnetic (EM) sensors and data processing required for AGC, this article will discuss survey and design considerations for …

Clearing Landmines And Building Peace In Colombia, Vanessa Finson, Giovanni Diffidenti

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 2015, the government of Colombia and las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarais de Colombia - Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) invited Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), to develop a joint pilot project to survey and clear anti- personnel mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). The project was a first of its kind in terms of the composition of the teams: two warring parties working side-by-side, and a means to help build trust and de-escalate the conflict during the Colombian peace process. In 2016, NPA commissioned photojournalist Giovanni Diffidenti to visit Santa Helena and El Orejón to capture the historic demining project in …

21st Century Survey In Eastern Ukraine And The Use Of Technology In Insecure Environments, Nick Torbet, Patrick Thompson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The conflation of humanitarian and military spheres has long been a feature of modern conflict, restricting access to areas in which the need for humanitarian assistance is greatest. However, the advent of mobile technology has provided novel opportunities to circumvent old problems. In Ukraine, The HALO Trust’s (HALO) ability to conduct nontechnical survey is restricted in certain areas, and the security environment means this is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, HALO pioneered a number of techniques that allowed for systematic assessments of the region, painting a general picture of contamination that will facilitate pro-active non-technical survey once …

Catholic Relief Services: Information And Communication Technology In Monitoring And Evaluation, Nguyen Tuan Phong, Ta Thi Hai Yen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In February 2015, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Vietnam initiated a new project to support the reintegration and rehabilitation of survivors of accidents involving landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). With funding from the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), CRS’ Access and Reintegration (A&R) project takes a comprehensive approach to serving the needs of 3,219 survivors of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces. Through collaboration with the Government of Vietnam’s provincial Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA), CRS provides survivors …

Bosnia And Herzegovina: Itf Enhancing Human Security Perspective 20 Years After The Conflict, Gregor Sancanin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

ITF Enhancing Human Security has worked in Southeast Europe’s post-conflict countries since 1998. In states affected by the break-up of Yugoslavia such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, ITF works to support the country’s fulfillment of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC).

Public, Private, And Civil Sector Partnerships Bolster Humanitarian Demining Efforts, Bob Ebberson, Wendy Hart

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Schonstedt Instrument Company is a small manufacturing company located in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, about 70 miles (112 km) from Washington, D.C. Schonstedt makes instruments that locate underground objects. These include pipe, cable, and magnetic locators that find and trace underground utilities and ferrous metals such as boundary markers used by surveyors. Magnetic locators have proven to be successful in locating unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other explosive remnants of war (ERW). In looking for ways to grow this market, Schonstedt recognized an opportunity to support humanitarian demining throughout the world. Determining that the sale of a pipe and …

Effects Of Weather On Detection Of Landmines By Giant African Pouched Rats, Ian Mclean, Rebecca Sargisson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Although APOPO has trained mine detection rats for many years, no published data exist on how weather parameters relate to detection accuracy. Using data taken during routine training, we show that there was little relationship between the detection success of rats and rainfall but find that rates decreased, on average, with increasing temperatures and increased with higher humidities. Individual rats vary in terms of sensitivity to temperature in that

Working From A Distance In War-Affected Libya, Nikolaj Søndergaard

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A unique partnership between DanChurchAid (DCA) and Lebanese authorities facilitates explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) training for Libyan authorities, who can now start their own national EOD teams and begin the clearance process.

Effectiveness And Impact Of Undp Mine Action Support: Lessons Learned, Charles Downs, Alan Fox

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has supported mine action in more than 40 countries since its first involvement in Cambodia in 1992. UNDP support generally focuses on the development of national mine action management capacities. In early 2016, the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of UNDP concluded the first global evaluation of the results of UNDP support in mine action, with particular attention to its effectiveness and impact. The evaluation reviewed documentation relating to all national, UNDP-supported mine action programs, in-depth desk reviews of support to 14 countries, and background for field case studies of three national programs (Laos, Mozambique, …

Integrated Cooperation On Explosive Hazards Program In Central Asia, Luka Buhin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office in Tajikistan (OiT) facilitates regional cooperation and coordination in the field of mine action in Central Asia, predominantly focusing on but not limited to inter-military cooperation. This approach falls under the OSCE concept of comprehensive and cooperative security. One of the best examples of this cooperation is the OSCE extra-budgetary project, the Integrated Cooperation on Explosive Hazards Programme (ICExH), which has been running since mid-2013. The project received financial support from the governments of Austria and the Netherlands in the past, while the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in …

Mobile Technologies: Uxo Lao's Easy Sketch Map, Hayashi Ontoku Akihito

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Established in 1996, the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao) promotes risk education and clears land for agriculture, community purposes (e.g., schools, hospitals, temples and water supplies) and other development activities. UXO Lao is working in the nine most impacted Lao provinces nationwide. Although recent changes occurred to UXO Lao’s survey procedure, the program continues mapping out contaminated areas throughout the country.

Building Tajikistan’S National Capacity, Bahriniso Shamsieva

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization of 57 member States. Currently conducting 16 field missions, OSCE develops confidence building measures in the field of security while providing conflict- prevention capabilities and a capacity-building process for participating nations. These mine action activities are supported by the OSCE Permanent Council and implemented by field missions via partnerships with the host countries.

Gichd’S Eastern Europe, Caucasus And Central Asia Outreach Programme, Faiz Paktian

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Within the Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia (EECCA) region, fifteen countries affected by landmines and/or explosive remnants of war (ERW) use Russian as a communication language: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Mines and ERW pose a serious hazard to the lives and livelihoods of the people in the EECCA. Residual contamination impacts many of the countries. In Belarus for instance, 20,879 items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) were found and destroyed in 2014. Significant amounts of UXO were also recovered from Estonia, Moldova and Russia. More recent conflicts led …

Providing Integrated Peer-Support Assistance To Landmine Survivors, Amir Mujanovic

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmine Survivors Initiatives implemented a three-pronged, peer-support assistance system to meet landmine survivors’ needs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This practice is the combination of an approach and methodology to provide integrated assistance to landmine survivors.

Meeting Pm/Wra’S New Director Col. (Ret.) Stanley L. Brown, Alexandra Berkowitz

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Continuing the funding for conventional weapons destruction programs remains a primary objective for Stan Brown, the new director of the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA). This interview introduces the director, provides a snapshot of his past experience and shares his hopes for the future of humanitarian demining.

Destruction Of Cluster Munitions In Moldova, Colin King

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

For some countries affected by cluster munitions, the obligations to demilitarize that accompany ratification of the Convention on Cluster Munitions may appear daunting. In 2009, however, Norwegian People’s Aid undertook a pilot project in Moldova to find a cheaper, more efficient alternative-disposal method. They discovered that not only can destruction of cluster munitions be done more effectively, but also that by using locally administered programs, international organizations can promote capacity building and increased employment while also bolstering national pride and commitment to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.